by evant
2. February 2012 17:29
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Posted by Evan Teske
Senior, Industrial and Systems Engineering
I have been working on organizing a backpacking trip with my brother and some friends in the forests around Athens for the past few weeks. Although I have done my fair share of hiking and swimming at Stroud’s Run, I have never taken full advantage of Athens’ proximity to so many state forests and parks. Over the weekend I went to the Peddler and the Packer on Richland and got some good insight as to what trails would be nice this time of year—I was impressed with the options.
Wayne National Forest is about 30 minutes northwest of Athens, and boasts 300+ miles of trails (including mountain biking, bridal, and ATV trails). The Burr Oak Trail intercepts the Buckeye trail on the North side, which would offer a 30 mile loop for a good 3-4 day trek. They call this area “the Little Smokies” because of its aesthetic similarity to the much larger National Park. The guy at the P & P warned that the better option would likely be south of Athens though for our quicker weekend trip.
So we are settling on Zaleski State Forest. It covers over 26,000 acres and borders Lake Hope. With the rain we have had lately the trail likely will not be too muddy with good local drainage into the lake. The loop is 26 miles total, but we will be able to cut that in half if need be with a shortcut that is supposedly well-marked. The trailhead is only a 40 minute drive from Athens, ensuring an easy return in time for class on Monday and my brother’s drive home to Cincinnati. The date is set for next weekend—-wish us luck!
Check out the link to Zaleski’s website (+ free downloadable maps): http://www.zaleskistateforest.com/
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